


Never call me Ben again

by lesetoilesnemeurentjamais



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Ben Organa Solo (mention), Force Choke, Inappropriate Use of the Force, Kylux - Freeform, M/M, Mind Reading, Mitaka (mention), Snoke (mention) - Freeform, Violence, canon Kylux, inappropriate use of a light saber, old memories you shouldn't awake, they hate each other, translation of one of my works in French, without any ambiguity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-01-25
Packaged: 2019-03-09 09:23:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13478481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesetoilesnemeurentjamais/pseuds/lesetoilesnemeurentjamais
Summary: Ren has made another mistake – that’s enough. And Hux doesn’t know yet, but he’s about to make one too.





	Never call me Ben again

**Author's Note:**

> This is a translation for [Ne m'appelle plus jamais Ben](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11214663), one of my own fics (in French).
> 
> Original notes:  
> I re-watched the movie recently and told myself that coming back to the source wouldn't hurt me while I was waiting for the next one... That's how I saw them before I fell into the fandom Kylux: D I hope you like it!
> 
> Additional notes for now:  
> I'm happy to see this story kinda came true :) and I translated it while hearing [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4UtBYUMVJk&t=4680s&ab_channel=LucAllio) if you're interested ahah!

Accompanied by the flapping of his thick black coat behind him, the General Hux walks down the endless corridors of Starkiller base. He’s perfectly aware that his proud, straight, irreproachable appearance enforces compliance. And at this very moment, eyes dark and clenched jaw, he knows that the silence which follows him is mixed with fear.

Hux is used to his co-commander’s tantrums. From day one, when Snoke summoned them both to tell them that they were going to work together, the general considered Ren incapable. And he took the decision of the supreme leader as a personal offense. As if he wasn’t capable of handling the Finalizer alone! Hux makes it a point of honour to make this great asparagus, hidden behind its black robes, feel how undesirable its presence is.

Kylo Ren – knight or not – acts like an irresponsible child. Hux has been forced to add the management of his colleague’s ridiculous behaviour to an already overbooked schedule. His too-short nights have come to almost disappear, all because between the strategic meetings, the training programme of the stormtroopers and the supervision of the last developments on Starkiller, the general now must find time to consult and respond to the countless incident reports he gets because of Ren.

It must be said that the knight is not exactly easy-going. At the slightest annoyance, he does not hesitate to mishandle the personnel, without distinction between technicians, soldiers and officers. The other half of the time, he draws his lightsaber and begins a brutal and systematic destruction of everything that passes within his reach. With a clear preference for ultra advanced and expensive equipment, whose budget quickly took on unexpected proportions.

The dictionary of synonyms itself would therefore not be sufficient to cover all the shades of disdain, annoyance and frank anger that the general has already felt for his uncontrollable colleague. But if there's one thing Hux never felt in front of Ren, it is fear. While everyone has learned to stay within a reasonable distance of the walking tornado that the knight is, and even to flee when possible, Hux is the only one not to be afraid of him.

Sure, Ren is impressive. The unstable blade of her lightsaber and the bloody reflections it projects on the metal of his helmet instinctively suggest danger. But behind the swirls of black cloth and the raucous screams, distorted by the vocoder of the mask, Hux is unable to see anything but the whims of a kid. Over time, the general learned how to calm the knight down. He rarely raises his voice, contenting himself with an icy and condescending tone. The one he uses with any of his subordinates. He doesn't consider Ren as his equal, far from it. At most, he tolerates his presence, and only because the supreme leader has so decided.

Hux knows that Ren, even if unstable, isn’t stupid. That he wouldn’t take the risk to wound him. More than once, he has faced the knight’s anger without shudder, even under the threat of the red, burning blade just before his eyes. The general's coldness always wins against the volcanic temperament of Snoke’s protégé.

But today, while his boots hammer the metal floor, the general has abandoned the calm which usually characterizes him. The ember reflections in his eyes echo the ones in his hair. He’s all flames now, proudly draped in his charcoal uniform. Ren has made another mistake – that’s enough. And Hux doesn’t know yet, but he’s about to make one too.

This time the report mentions the destruction of one of the base’s control posts. The general didn’t need to calculate to understand that this act might cost them a lot. On the one hand, in terms of repair, and on the other hand because the system controlled the triggering of Starkiller's shields. If the Resistance hears about the weapon’s existence before the circuits are operational again, it will be the end of the First Order.

And Ren didn’t stick to the massacre of the electronic equipment. The document Hux received a few minutes ago on his datapad also evoked violences commited against the lieutenant Mitaka, one of the youngest officers affected to the general’s team, and maybe one of the most promising. It is this last point that made Hux explode. The life of the young man isn’t engaged, according to the report, and the general will check this in person later, but Ren went too far and it is time to make him understand once and for all that he will have to calm down.

When the general finally reaches his destination, he finds Kylo Ren in the middle of the ruins of what was once a checkpoint. With a disdainful snort, Hux quickly considers the scale of the damage. The walls are covered with deep burns, and the consoles are reduced to scattered, twisted, and still glowing pieces in some areas. The knight is turned, busy hitting one of the panels. If he felt the general was coming, he doesn't show anything.

Hux brutally stops a few yards from his co-commander, furious.

-                       Ben Organa Solo! he yells, separating each word.

The knight immobilizes immediately. A huge silence settles in, only disturbed by the crackling sound of the melting cables.

Hux realizes what he just said. He knows Kylo Ren’s story. He knows how much this topic is delicate, but at this very moment all he needs is to get the warrior’s attention before he destroys another vital system. The rage overwhelms his thoughts in an unusual way and the words have crossed his lips without him really thinking about it. At least his co-commander stopped attacking the equipment.

Ren slowly turns back to him, without powering his saber off. The general stays undaunted. If the knight hopes he will frighten him with his trembling blade and his dramatic effects, he’s wrong. Hux has seen far more than this. Holding a scornful sniff, he takes a step towards the dark silhouette, determined to put his ideas back in place. Or at least he tries to. In vain. His body refuses to answer.

Hux immediately understands that Ren uses the Force to prevent him from moving. Nevertheless he can’t help but try to free himself. It is impossible to read the knight’s expression behind his mask. However, judging by the way the air seems to vibrate around him, his anger didn’t leave him. Quite the contrary. For the first time, the general feels something grasping his chest. He’s absolutely helpless against Ren. He has never been as insecure as he is right now. And when the warrior stretches out his arm and the burning blade comes to rest a few centimetres from Hux's neck, the latter struggles not to panic.

-                       How did you call me? Ren asks in a threatening, metallic voice.

Hux doesn’t manage to respond. The pressure exerted by the knight on him is such that he cannot even open his mouth, and his throat is desperately dry. No one will come to his rescue. No one opposes Kylo Ren, especially when he's angry. The general realizes with bitterness that he made a mistake. An error that leaves him at the mercy of his co-commander.

-                       Tell me! Ren orders.

With difficulty, Hux manages to half-open his lips, but his words turn into a muffled whine when he feels the heat approaching, so close that he feels its burning. He'll keep a mark, he's sure of it. Ren has never driven his threats this far, and the terrifying thought that he could go any further runs through the general's mind.

-                       You have no idea of _who I am_ , the knight hisses while moving towards him. Of _who I was._

With a sudden gesture, he pulls his sword away and turns it off before attaching it to his belt. Hux takes advantage of this to try to free himself, but Ren didn't loosen his grip on him.

-                       You’ve been projecting your thoughts around you for _months_ without knowing, the knight grumbles. I know _exactly_ what you think of me. You think you’re superior because your family served the Empire and you follow their path like a good dog. You despise me because you’re unable to understand the Force. You refuse to see what I have _accomplished_ to be here. _You don’t know me._

The metal of Ren’s helmet almost touches Hux forehead.

-                       You think you’re strong because you’re not afraid? _I’ll give you reasons to fear me._

Hux may not distinguish his gaze, but he knows that the knight is perfectly determined. In a burst of pride, and in spite of the worries that bind his stomach, he raises his head. With a scream of rage, Ren strikes him in the face, so hard that without the Force vise around him, the general would have collapsed. A cloud of luminous dots dance before his eyes and the taste of blood fills his mouth. Dull pain radiates from his lower lip, probably split under impact. Worry turns into terror. Ren won't stop there.

One gesture is enough for the knight to throw Hux against the nearest wall. The surface is torn apart by laser saber strikes, and a shard of metal pierces the uniform to enter the flesh of his back. The general holds back a cry, his gaze begging in spite of him.

With one hand, Ren holds Hux's painful body against the still tepid metal. The general closes his eyes at the moment when he feels the pressure to concentrate on his temples, and the knight penetrates his mind.

_-                       Let’s see what secrets the general Hux may hide…_

The general lets out a new painful whine. Ren’s voice resonates violently in his head, unrecognizable in the absence of a vocoder. And above all, Hux feels him rummaging his memories, searching for his weaknesses.

_-                       S… Stop… Ren…_

The knight explores his head as he would explore an old attic, stirring thoughts of which Hux was not even aware anymore. Thoughts he has buried for too long. He tries to push Ren out of his mind, but his weak defences are not enough.

_-                       Armitage Brendol Hux._

The general shivers. He hates this name. What it evokes to him. And he knows Ren will find what he is looking for soon enough. In a flash of pain, the images come back to him as the knight grabs them, and his thoughts tangle in a red fog interspersed with his own pleas.

_The illegitimate son of an Imperial officer and a kitchen maid. The dishonour, the shame. His father’s words for him, always harder. As hard as his strikes, leather on the thin skin of his child’s back, and his father who ignores his cries. He’s as thin as a sheet of paper and just as useless. But maybe it is still possible to do something of him._

_Go away, Ren. Leave me alone!_

_The rain on Arkanis, the hours spent waiting outside. The metallic cold of the Imperial ships. The loneliness. The years at the Academy, with growing hate as sole reason to stay alive. I won’t be like my father. I’ll raise the Empire back._

_Ren… Stop that…_

_I can do better. Better and better. I hate you. All of you. When his father died, he shed no tears. A soldier never cries. Hate for his pairs, and loneliness again. Respect, fear, until he reaches the commandment of the Finalizer. His pride at each new Starkiller attempt. This weapon he built._

_Ren!_

_This feeling of power, invulnerability. But deep within him this pain still hurting. This need to grow again and again. This thirst of gratitude that burns his guts. I’ll give my life to the First Order. They will die. All of them._

_Ren, I…_

_Warships have become his domain, his stronghold. Destroying adversity, killing anyone who stands in his way. I won’t be like my father. I don’t want to be like him. I hate him. Hate makes me grow._

_Ren, stop, please Ren… Stop!_

Visions cease and Hux regains consciousness, panting. His throat burns as if he had been screaming for hours, and he realizes that he doesn't know how long this torture lasted. He is still plastered against the wall, his back hurts and even if Ren has left his mind, he has left behind a migraine like the general has never known.

-                       Pathetic, general, Ren says and he shakes his head.

Hux remains silent. The glass armour he had forged just shattered in pieces. Ren now knows.

-                       Unpleasant, isn’t it? Ren resumes. To be at the mercy of someone else.

New silence.

-                       Even a cadet wouldn’t have made such an error. No one ever taught you not to underestimate your adversaries?

Ren is right. This sole thought is more painful than everything else.

-                       You never took me seriously. You never thought I could hurt you.

The knight is amused now.

-                       I wonder why. Did you believe I was afraid of Snoke’s retaliation? Or is there some other reason?

He pauses for a moment, leans over to examinate his victim’s terrified gaze.

-                       Maybe I should search for an answer by myself?

The general’s eyes widen even more. _No. No. No!_

-                       Let me go, he manages to croak in spite of pain and fear.

Ren obeys. Hux fells on his knees, slowly catches his breath, curled up against the wall. Finally, he straightens up, still trembling. His legs are too weak to carry him, but he tries to stay dignified despite the imposing silhouette dominating him.

-                       You have no right, he hisses while gathering his few remaining forces. I…

His voice goes out when the knight clenches his fist. Hux instinctively raises his hands to his throat, suddenly deprived of air. Ren kneels just before him.

-                       You didn’t understand, he groans, and his free hand grips Hux’s hair to force him to look.

A new pressure, a new cry mixed with terror. The contact only lasts for a second, but Ren lefts in his victim’s mind a tiny smell of fear. The knight brutally releases the general, who falls backs on the ground, this time to weak to even move. He desperately tries to catch his breath, but the Force wraps his neck in an invisible hand. He feels weak, folded up against the frozen metal. So vulnerable. Like the child he once was but is no longer. Or at least it is what he thought. At this very moment, he would almost com to doubt. All he wants is for Ren to leave.

The lack of oxygen blurs his vision, he turns to his co-commander in a desperate attempt. He’s aware his life is just a thread. His green eyes stare at the two black slits that hide Ren’s eyes.

-                       Ben Organa Solo is dead, the latter finally grumbles. I killed him.

The general doesn’t even have enough strength to agree anymore. The voice of his co-commander reaches him from afar. As he believes his last moments come and tears invade his eyes, the pressure finally breaks. Hux inhales greedily, ignoring the burning in his lungs.

-                       Don't ever call me that again, the knight warns, threatening. Never.

Kylo Ren gets up and readjusts his robes with a sharp gesture, then he moves away in a quick step, leaving the general immobile, wounded, humiliated in the middle of the rubble.

**Author's Note:**

> Two prompts inspired me: "first time Hux dares calling him Ben" and "Hux has never been afraid of Ben... until now". I hope you appreciated it, if so don't hesitate to let a review or a kudo! Also find me on [Tumblr](coeurd-art-ichaut.tumblr.com) ;)
> 
> See you soon ♥


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